China Prods
Its Consumers
To Use Plastic

By

Craig Karmin Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Dec. 4, 2003 12:01 a.m. ET

SHANGHAI -- China's government wants its billion-plus citizens to start using a new phrase: "Charge it."

In hopes of building a credit-card business in advance of the summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, Chinese officials have told larger merchants in the capital city that at least half of them must accept credit or debit cards by the...